The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested eight suspected members of a one-chance robbery syndicate and recovered 21 mobile phones and three laptops, including a device belonging to a victim.
The arrestes were disclosed by the FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
Sanusi said the arrests followed an investigation into an incident on August 7, when a woman identified as the wife of a police officer boarded a taxi at AYA Roundabout in Abuja and was allegedly robbed by members of a one-chance syndicate.
According to him, the suspects allegedly dispossessed the victim of her mobile phone and other valuables before transferring money from her account into their own accounts.
The commissioner said he directed the Command’s tracking unit to investigate the incident, using digital reconstruction technology to trace the electronic transactions and the stolen phone.
The operation led to the arrest of eight suspects identified as Yunusa Sani, Ismail Mohammed, Abubakar Usman, Haruna Musa, Abdulrazaq Mohammed, Isah Abdulrahman, Isa Abdullahi and Aliyu Shuaibu.
He said further investigations revealed that one of the suspects, Haruna Musa, allegedly specialised in altering the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers of stolen phones before resale to evade detection.
Sanusi added that suspected receivers of the stolen properties had also been identified and tracked, while the suspects and recovered exhibits remained in police custody pending the conclusion of investigations.
In a separate operation, the Command arrested two suspected armed robbers, Jamilu Abdulsalam and Ibrahim Isa Sani, along the AYA–Nyanya Expressway on September 17.
The commissioner said intelligence reports indicated that the syndicate operated across Abuja and parts of Nasarawa, Niger and Kogi states, allegedly targeting victims after studying their movements and routines before robbing them at gunpoint.
He said the suspects were arrested shortly after allegedly carrying out a robbery and while attempting to flee the FCT for their hideout in Nasarawa State.
Items recovered from them included three locally made pistols, three live cartridges, four knives, 17 mobile phones, two cutlasses and a point-of-sale machine.
The police also arrested another suspected armed robber, Chibuike Odeh, following a complaint lodged at Jabi Police Division on October 18.
According to Sanusi, the suspect allegedly attacked a woman returning from work on September 26, threatened her with a knife and stole her handbag containing an iPhone and other valuables.
He further alleged that the suspect used the victim’s phone and ATM card to withdraw all the money in her bank accounts.
The commissioner said the suspect was arrested at his residence in Daki-Biyu, Jabi District, following investigations. A search of the premises reportedly led to the recovery of a bag, a knife, a sharp iron, a black face mask, a power bank and a voter’s card.
Sanusi said all the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
He urged residents to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities to the police and cooperate with security agencies, stressing that public participation remained essential to maintaining security across the FCT.
